Oil, Russia and Trade: Trump Turns Up Heat on India
US President Donald Trump once again threatened India on Monday, January 5, 2026, over the issue of buying oil from Russia. According to reports, if India does not cooperate on the issue of buying oil from Russia, we can quickly increase tariffs on India, said Trump. Trump can be heard saying this in an audio recording released by the White House.
Trump praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that Modi is a good man and that India is trying to please him. He also said, “Basically, they wanted to make me happy, and Prime Minister Modi is a very good man. He knew I wasn’t happy, and it was important to him to make me happy. They do business, and we can raise taxes on them very quickly.”
The US had already imposed a 50% tariff on India, 25% of which was a penalty, because India was buying crude oil from Russia. According to Trump, the tax imposed by the US on India has seen the largest increase. Initially, a 10% rate was applied, then it was increased to 25% on August 7th, and by the end of last year, it had reached 50%. India and the US are working on a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement (BTA), and it is expected that the first phase of this agreement will be completed and made public soon.
